α-Phenyl-N-t-butyl nitrone (PBN) has been shown to reverse age-related oxidative changes, delay senescence, reverse mitochondrial decay, and exert a neuroprotective effect after oxidative damage from ischemia/reperfusion injury. In the course of studying the affect of PBN on cells we observed that old solutions were more effective than fresh solutions in delaying senescence. This observation led to our discovery of the anti-senescent effect of the PBN decomposition product, N-t-butyl hydroxylamine in particular, and N-hydroxylamines in general; see our U.S. Pat. No.6,455,589.
Our findings indicate that pharmaceutical nitrones can act as prodrugs, liberating the more biologically active hydroxylamine under physiological conditions. The present invention provides pharmaceutical nitrones of hydroxylamines and physiologically-preferred aldehydes.